tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62169093944275027182024-02-08T06:09:05.782-08:00Serious MarriageConnecting couples to God and each other. . .Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-35300199304058692612012-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:002012-11-20T08:31:16.640-08:00The Service Industry<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Who doesn't like good service? If you take your wife out to a nice restaurant, you
expect to have good service or at least service that doesn't make you stop to
think, “Hey, where is my food” or “Why did I get fish when I ordered chicken?” You
know what I’m talking about. Most of us have been on the receiving end of poor
service at one time or another. However, we desire and expect good service from
those in the “service” industry.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Stop
and think for a minute. Have you ever considered yourself in the service
industry? If you are married, you have
willingly placed yourself into the service industry whether you were aware of
it or not. Now, many of us fail to see that we are called to serve our spouse,
which often becomes a common ground for arguments, frustration, and
disappointment. Nonetheless, as a husband or wife you are called to humbly serve
your spouse. We have a great example of what this type of service is supposed
to look like.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In
Mark 10:35-45, a situation arises where James and John are promoting themselves
wanting to sit at Jesus’ side when He sits on His throne in glory. Out of all
twelve disciples, they were saying to Jesus, “We want to be the ones who receive
special honor and recognition amongst all others.” There seemed to be a
self-seeking interest taking place that failed to take into consideration the
others in their midst. Understanding what was going on, Jesus pointed out to
them a reality that often takes place with this type of attitude. There are
some who have positions of authority and receive special honor and recognition
but instead of serving others, they choose to lord it over them. However, this
neglect of position should never happen. So Jesus tells the disciples that if
they really want to be great and do something worthwhile, they should enter
into the “service” industry. He called them to humbly serve God and one another.
Is this not what Jesus showed them in His own life as well? He tells them that “He
came not to be served but to serve and even give His life up as a ransom for others,”
(Mark 10:45). He willingly entered the “service” industry. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>So, if
we are married, we are in a perfect position to practice this act of humble
service. However, we often seek only to be served and are disappointed if that
service doesn't reach our standard. Instead of looking out for our own
interest, let’s start looking out for the interest of our spouse and realize we
are called into the “service” industry. Look for ways you can serve and thereby
empower your spouse to be all that God is calling him/her to be.</i></span><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-73833558597448827942012-08-16T08:03:00.001-07:002012-08-16T08:03:32.180-07:00Plugging In<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">When electronics are “plugged in,” they typically
work because they’re connected to a power source. Or, when they’ve been plugged
in and charged, you can unplug them and they usually operate at the capacity
you expect them to operate. For example, when I plug in my phone to the
electrical outlet that provides the power to charge it, I can expect to have
about 8 hours or so hours of operation before I have to plug it in again. But,
if I never plug it in, it won’t function as I would like for it to. But, not
only does it need to be plugged in, it has to be plugged in to the right
source. A power plug designed for 120 volts won't work for a receptacle that has been designed for 220 volts. You have to be plugged into the right source to get the outcome desired.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In much of the same way, if we expect to grow
in our relationship with Jesus and our spouses, we have to plug into the right
source. We can’t expect to grow if we never plug in or if we attempt plugging
into the wrong source.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In Mark 1:35, we get a great picture of what
it looks like to plug into the right source. Shortly after Jesus enters into
His public ministry, people begin to come to Him in droves to hear His teaching
and to be healed from their infirmities. One particular day, He had already
spent time teaching in the Synagogue, casting out unclean spirits, and even
healing Peter’s mother-in-law. When it was evening, people continued to come to
Him. He was able to get no rest and time to recharge. But because Jesus has
compassion for people, He took the time with them. So you can imagine the
fatigue that Jesus must have felt. He would be in need of a good charging. After
this event we read, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still
dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” After
being depleted by the demands and requests of a whole town, Jesus knew He
needed to “unplug” from the town for a minute and get “plugged in” to the right
source and be recharged. He went out, away from everything and everyone, and
prayed to God. The strength that He knew He needed in His earthly body would be
found and sourced in God. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Often, before we can get “plugged in” to the
right source, we have to “unplug” from other things. We often hear husbands and
wives frustrated that they don’t feel connected to one another anymore. They
wish they could connect with one another but there just seems to be something
blocking that from happening. But, then we turn and see the same couples always
“plugged in” to something. They constantly have a phone in their hand, and an iPad
on their lap, the television on, or are updating their status and checking
everyone else’s on Facebook. They’re always plugged in to something but what
they’re plugged into may be distracting them from their relationship together. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What if couples “unplugged” from all the tech
and started plugging into a real source of power for their marriage. Jesus, who
was God in the flesh, knew He needed to stay plugged into God while on earth.
Perhaps if we plugged into God together in our marriage, we might experience His
power in our lives to rejuvenate, refresh, restore and reignite passion. Unplugging
from distractions and plugging into Him and your marriage may just remove the
frustration of not feeling connected and present the opportunity to have a
stronger connection than ever. There is real power when connected to the right
source.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What are you plugged into?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-4952724438574345342012-08-01T13:15:00.004-07:002012-08-01T13:15:51.898-07:00Fighting Through the Rubble<br />
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<i>In the past year,
there have been several tornadoes and storms that have wreaked havoc throughout
the United States. Whenever one of these deadly storms settles in, destruction
follows leaving nothing but ruin and rubble. After the storm concludes its
dashing of hopes, the clean-up efforts shortly follow. But what happens in
between the devastation and the recovery process? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Those who have seen
their homes and communities destroyed can look around and be utterly devastated
and rightly so. Everything that they had of earthly value has been destroyed. All of their years of hard work, building, and
maintaining homes ended in destruction and sits in rubble. Frustration and a
lack of hope can then set in.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>In Nehemiah 4:10-14,
the people of Israel faced a similar situation. Their homes had not been
destroyed by deadly storms. Rather, their homes and city had been destroyed by the
Babylonians before being taken into captivity. After being in exile, they
finally return to see all the damage that had been done to their homes and the
wall to their city. Obvious frustration was there but the clean-up process
began anyway. In the middle of rebuilding the city wall, they were faced with
opposition and discouragement. It soon became clear that it was hard for them
to see past all the rubble. The fact that there was so much work to be done and
so little to work with was beginning to wear them down. But, in the face of the
opposing Sanballat and Tobiah, Nehemiah encouraged the people to work through
the rubble and continue the “clean-up.” He also encouraged them to shift their
focus away from the rubble and upon God. “Remember the Lord, who is great and
awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives,
and your homes,” (Neh. 4:14b). <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Many times, we look
out at our situations in our marriage and all we see is rubble. We feel like a
tornado has just come in and ripped everything apart and it’s all sitting in brokenness
on the ground. We are led to believe that they are damaged so badly that there
is no conceivable way of restoration. We’ve both hurt each other and feel hurt
by the other and we say things like “we’ve just grown apart” and just know that
the end is in sight. There is rubble all around and we think there is nothing
to build upon or with. But there is something there to work with. Even though
it may be rubble and take a great deal of hard work, there is still something
to work with. The “clean-up” process is worth it but tough. We cannot do it alone. Just as Nehemiah
refocused the people’s glance from the rubble to the greatness of God, we need
to recast our vision. NO, we cannot work through the rubble on our own. We need
the mighty hand of God at work. But it can be done. “Remember the Lord, who is
great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your
wives, and your homes.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Just because a storm
has blown in and left things a mess in your marriage doesn’t mean that it has
to stay in the rubble. By the grace of God and your disciplined work, it can be
rebuilt. Let’s start the clean-up efforts!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-78621845480149008932012-07-23T08:56:00.000-07:002012-07-23T09:01:29.772-07:00Someone is Watching<br />
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<i>We
hear statements all the time that make us scratch our head and think, “Is that
really true?” For example, we’ve heard that if you lay with dogs you’ll get
flees, that the music we listen to can affect us and maybe even that the movies
we watch have the potential of influencing our thoughts and actions. These
statements make us step back and think, “Are they really true?” Parents,
educators, and psychologists have wrestled with these and other similar
questions for decades. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i> A question that I often ask myself is this, “Does the way I treat my wife matter to more than just me?” Are
there others who are affected? I believe the answer to this is an emphatic,
yes! If you have children, there are little eyes watching what you do and what
you say. The way my two children see me treat their momma will give them an
impression about how they are to treat and be treated by their spouse one day. If
they see me treat her with contempt, impatience, and unforgiveness they will
learn to think that is normal and suffer the instability that comes along. However,
if they see me treat her with love, patience, and forgiveness, they will
likewise learn to see that is the norm within a stable home.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>On
a larger scale, the way we treat our spouses matter because it speaks directly into
the heart of your children. It communicates the love that Christ has shown to His
children. The apostle Paul tells us that husbands are to love their wives as
Christ loves the church and gave His life for her. And wives are to respect
their husbands as the church shows respect and submission to Christ. (Ephesians
5:24-25). When a child sees their daddy sacrificially loving their momma in
words and action they can get a real tangible glimpse at the love Jesus has for
His children. Similarly, when a child sees how momma is honoring and respecting
their daddy, they can get a real picture at how they will one day learn to have
a wonderful respect and love for their Savior Jesus. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Someone
is watching! How a husband and a wife interact within their marriage is deeply
important for their children. They are watching and will grow to love their
future spouse the way they see you loving yours. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>So
if we ever hear a statement wondering about if it matters how we treat our
spouse, we know that we don’t have to stop and scratch our heads to think about
it. We know that it does because there is someone watching.<o:p></o:p></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-49587552345183765882012-07-16T07:13:00.001-07:002012-07-16T07:15:30.574-07:00Knowing and being Known<br />
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<i>We’ve all been there.
We’ve all been in the position where we’ve walked into a room and didn’t know a
single person there. It’s perhaps one of the most awkward positions we find
ourselves in. Something about that scene
is unsettling for many of us. Going from junior high to high school, from high
school to college or from college into your new work environment, you’re faced
with meeting new people that have no clue who you are. This is unsettling for
us because deep inside we have a desire to know and be known. We desire deep
relationships that go beyond the surface. It’s part of the way that God has
designed us. He’s designed us to be in relationship with not only Him but
others as well. And the more intimately we know and are known the healthier the
relationship is. The closest human relationship that one can enter into is the
marriage relationship.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>The same phenomenon is
found in marriage. We want to deeply know our spouse while having them know and
understand us. Many times we don’t know how to communicate that truth but the
reality is there. But the difficulty in this sometimes comes when we fear being
open and honest with one another. And there are several factors that can keep us
from being open with each other. Maybe we fear being judged, fear being
rejected, or fear not really being understood or heard. There is risk involved
when we become vulnerable with one another yet it is needed for us to grow
together. But, truly seeking to understand one another crosses the bridge from
giving lip service to saying you know your spouse to really getting to know
them. The more you seek to truly understand each other, the healthier your
marriage will be. Healthy couples are intimately familiar with each other’s
world (Gottman). But if you aren’t seeking to know and be known, it will be
easy for your marriage to get knocked of course when different seasons arise in
your lives. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Let’s keep our spouse
from being in a room where they don’t know anyone. Let’s try to know and
understand them while being open and vulnerable in return. Through this, let’s
watch couples grow closer together while they are knowing and being known.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>--Sit down with
your spouse and have some Q and A with them. Have fun with it and get to know
each other again or for the first time.<o:p></o:p></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6216909394427502718.post-78043242152292922122012-07-09T13:17:00.000-07:002012-07-09T13:17:33.608-07:00A Beautiful Design<br />
<div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Have you ever looked around and wondered what on earth is happening with marriage? We desperately want to think of a couple we know or have been exposed to that really has a rock star marriage. BUT, we can’t think of one or remember the last time we witnessed it. Although the culture would disagree, there is something in us that still believes that marriage is something beautiful. The idea of two people coming together and forming one is a spectacular happening that communicates so much love and oneness that is uncommon. That’s why it’s beautiful. Unfortunately, the reality is we want to see it in this light, but we don’t see many great examples.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is a beautiful design however. In Genesis 2:18-25 there is a phenomenal picture of what marriage was designed to be. The Creator God had formed Adam fully aware that he would be well served with someone just like him to be in relationship with. So He formed the woman to be a perfect mate for him. And then after creating her from the side of Adam, God did something that was remarkable. He took the woman, whom He had perfectly created and invested Himself into, and handed her to Adam entrusting her care and well being to him. And we read that they were both naked (physically and emotionally) before each other and there was no shame. The two became one and were perfectly united in oneness just as the Godhead was and is. It was an awesome design that demonstrated the love and oneness of God thereby glorifying His name. So the beautiful design of marriage was first to demonstrate the oneness of God.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marriage, wasn’t a product of the culture nor a way to benefit financially when two became one. It was a union that said everything about who God was and that was its design. It showcased the God who was three in one, completely united, and in complete oneness. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So as we look around and fail to see the beautiful marriages we hoped to see, let’s remember that there is a perfect design. Let us aim for the oneness that was demonstrated in the first marriage. Let’s make our marriage a rock star marriage and point people to the original design that seeks to honor the God who created it.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08967927266824648619noreply@blogger.com2